A century ago, this week Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, a solar eclipse took place, the Carpathia arrived in New York carrying survivors of the Titanic and the rains pounded Boston.

 Harriet Quimby was killed in a plane crash less than three months after flying across the English Channel.

The rains would last for two days postponing the opening of Fenway Park not once but twice. The Boston Post reported that the postponements were a “blow to the box office” owed to the fact that “Thursday was a state holiday in New Hampshire and hundreds of excursioinists had arranged with the railroads for transportation to Boston”. This contingent would now be missing from the inaugural crowd and despite Red Sox president Jimmy McAleer’s hope that “Pluvius would relent” the rains left the outfield in “wretched condition” and the result was a cost to the Red Sox of about 10,000 patrons.

USS Carpathia

Last night it rained at Fenway Park but it was the Texas Rangers who were responsible for the storm, not Pluvius. And what rained was baseballs as the Rangers pounded five Red Sox pitchers for 21 hits scoring 18 runs while the Red Sox could muster but three.

Reliever Mark Melancon faced six batters giving up four hits, two walks. All of them scored. (photo Jim Davis)

The pounding at the hands of the Rangers comes off a 1-0 Patriots Day loss to the Tampa Bay Rays and no doubt will give new life to the nattering nabobs of negativism that comprise so many of the Boston sports media. The negativity had been somewhat staved with three straight Fenway Park wins over Tampa last week but make no mistake, the negatoryists (I just made that up) loom and hover, some with glee, and will pounce at the slightest hint and/or sniff of something, anything negative.

There is not a whole lot of positives one can derive from an 18-3 pounding at home which has the Red Sox in last place in the AL East three games behind Baltimore and it leaves a gathering cloud over Bobby Valentine and his Red Sox. That cloud will dissipate on Friday as Pluvius has promised to cooperate.

Jupiter Pluvius

A warm sunny day is promised for Friday as Fenway Park will celebrate her 100th birthday. The Fenway Faithful and Fenway Park will indulge in a love fest, the likes of which the park and the patrons have never seen. They will gather, honor, remember and then at 3:05 PM the Red Sox and Yankees will play and Fenway Park’s climate will then be dictated by the level of play.

Today Josh Beckett will be called upon to right the Good Ship Red Sox which took a hefty hit last.

He’s coming off a strong outing and a win in Fenway’s opener last Friday against the Rays. A win tonight will add to Pluvius’ promised Friday sunshine and momentarily stave of the aforementioned nabobs. But rest assured that the clouds will never be far away from Bobby Valentine and his team and there will be a wide range of media folks who will remind us when they gather. Some will even look for them!

And so it is at this time in Fenway Park history, April 18, 2012.